The Apple is a Peach

When I was employed, one of my favorite holidays was Columbus Day. When I briefly left education in the late 1970’s, I found I missed kids terribly. When I decided to return to teaching a year later, people at my plant asked me why I was returning to education. I lied and said it was because I didn’t want to work on Columbus Day. It was only partially a lie.

Enjoyment wasn’t based on the commemoration of Columbus. It was the timing of the day. Early October has mostly cool, clear, dry days. These days are perfect for fishing. As educators, we got the day off and that meant fishing trips. 

One day Paul said, “Hey guys, I read they are catching some nice smallmouth bass on the Apple River in northern Illinois. We should go on Columbus Day.” We were all four available and decided this would be our next fishing destination. The Apple flows through Apple River Canyon state park and eventually flows into the Mississippi on the edge of the old Savanna Army Depot.

Paul called the ranger station at the state park and received some fishing advice and directions. This was before GPS so we actually needed a map.

The Apple is a shallow cool water creek. In this area it is shallow enough to wade. The cooler October weather meant we would need waders (high waist boots for you non-fisher people). 

For Don and Paul this was prime water for fly fishing. Robert and I brought our trusty spinning rods and lures we purchased from our Smokys trip.

It was a long four hour drive from Bloomington. We arrived around noon, and stopped to eat our packed lunches. Fortunately Don’s wife, Pat, had prepared many sandwiches. I brought basic staples like Cheetos and snack bars.

After lunch we put on all of our gear and waded into the river near the parking lot in the park. We caught fish quickly, but they were not smallies. The only fish were small minnow like creek chubs called dace. They were about 3 inches long with bumps all over the head. They may have gotten a few more bumps as we pitched them back immediately.

The park has limestone bluffs which line the river. The Apple has three branches in the park and they have an unusual flow pattern. The water from two of the branches enters the main branch, but they flow against the current. I learned later that uplift changed the river’s course and the main branch was at one time a tributary.

In spite of the scenic beauty, the fishing was disappointing. We decided to ask advice at the ranger station. This was a great move as the ranger pointed out other Apple River areas owned by the state. These areas, separated from the main park, were purchased as farm land was put on sale. Some of the land was owned on one side by the state and the other by private owners. The ranger said these sections were fished less often and almost no one fished them in the fall.

Though we are navigationally impaired, we actually managed to locate one of the sections. It was across the road from a Boy Scout camp, and we were able to park there. Unfortunately they were having a big jamboree, and the parking areas were packed. We hoped we didn’t get towed. After putting on all our gear, we waded into the edge of a corn field and mostly stumbled until we found the river. We had to slide on our butts to get in the water, but all managed to get in without falling.

The shallow water was crystal clear and we could easily see fish facing upstream waiting for food to swim by. Don and Paul fished with their tree snagging poles (fly fishing) while Robert and I fished with spinning equipment. The guy in the picture caught the first smallmouth.

We moved upstream as we tried different pools. In most places the river barely covered the bottom of my boots. It was narrow, and  in many spots less than 20 feet across.

This section of the river has many bluffs. Next to the bluffs, the river is much deeper, sometimes over 5 feet. As we were fishing a deep pool, something hit the water next to Don. It sounded like a cannon when it hit. We thought some kids were up on the bluff throwing rocks at us (Don). We watched the bluffs and waited for them to throw again. They did….it was a squirrel knocking down walnuts from a tree overhanging the bluff.

As we moved upstream, the ranger said to look for a bridge. This was the end of state property and we were not allowed beyond the bridge.  I found out later that my brother-in-law, Gregg, was part of the crew that built this bridge. This was an extremely steep bank to climb and we all had difficulty getting out. I wish he had put in a few steps to the top. Across the bridge lay more scenic bluffs, but there were beef cattle grazing the area and wading in the river. Since they were upstream, the water under the bridge was "unpleasant".

We had a mile walk, in boot waders, back to the car parked at the Boy Scout camp. After the mile long hike in boots against the current and then the hike back we were exhausted. However we caught many smallies along the way and had a wonderful time looking at the scenery and catching fish.

As we loaded into the car, for the long drive home Paul said, “The title will be "The Apple is a Peach’ ”. I asked what that was about. He said he wrote a journal when he went fishing. Each journal entry had a title. I thought the title was a perfect description of our adventure.

We returned many times, often in the summer as you can tell by the change in wardrobe. 

We caught many fish, including some really large river smallies. We explored more of the river. The area near the Boy Scot camp begins at another bridge and it contains several deep pools. We met a nice woman who owns a house on that section that she and her husband purchased for retirement. He had passed away, and she seemed to enjoy talking to us. One time we caught so many smallies in a deep pool near her house, we never waded upstream. We actually ran out of the crawdad lures we were using and couldn’t find any more in the area.

Often it was just Don and I returning, but we always considered the Apple a special place. We extended our trips to two days and included some sightseeing. This area of Illinois is untouched by glaciers and is extremely hilly and scenic. It is home to the highest land in Illinois, known as Charles Mound. The highest town in the state is nearby Scales Mound, a very small village, and home of two brothers who lived next door to me in college. I had uncles who farmed near there, and visiting them was the best part of summers.

Educators now can waive the state of Illinois requirement to dismiss school on holidays. Many districts have chosen to stay in school on Columbus Day. Now, when I fish on Columbus Day all those educators and kids are in school. Seriously, I don’t miss Columbus Day, but I am forever thankful that we made that first trip. The Apple really is a Peach. 

Credit Paul for the title and the photos.